1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to toilets and specifically to flushing means for toilets. More particularly, this invention relates to automatic flushing means for toilets which are actuated by the user sitting on the toilet seat then arising therefrom.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Manual flushing devices for toilets are of course well known. However, these have the disadvantage that people, especially elderly people and children, occasionally forget to use them, with resulting unpleasantness and possible disease hazard.
Accordingly, several devices have been provided for automatically flushing a toilet when the user sits down and arises from the toilet seat. Illustrative of these prior art devices are U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,142 to Chin, and Nos. 4,329,745 and 4,443,898 to Aguero.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,142 to Chin discloses a mechanism utilizing a spring-loaded toilet seat and two cam assemblies. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,329,745 and 4,443,898 to Augero utilize an elongated lever arm extending from the toilet seat to a vertical actuating link. When the user sits down on the toilet seat, this vertical actuating link is pushed upwardly and engages a flush valve actuating mechanism, which then causes the toilet to flush when the user arises.
Each of these prior art devices has the disadvantage of comprising several moving mechanical parts with a resultant increased likelihood of breakdown. Each has the further disadvantage of being relatively heavy, expensive to produce, and difficult to install.